CappuccinoandArtJournal

Mostly postal but art and other things of interest too.

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Sunday, August 7, 2016

Start Your Day With Art

Good Morning!I try to start out every day with an hour of art (no matter how early I have to get up). Some folks like to work at night....way into the wee hours....but I always feel like I have to start my day with art if at all possible.

First off, a mug of very strong, black, hot coffee and a book or magazine about art or art techniques.(This book has been around a while and is called The Pressed Plant - it is very nice).I like to browse UpperCase and Somerset Studio magazines.

But, Sundays are for the SF Chronicle and the New York Times.....

Oh! And happy T day to Elizabeth and the T gang. I am invited to join in this week and I hope you enjoy the beverage of choice here -- cappuccino.Thank youElizabeth - Altered Book Lover

Looking at some cyanotypes...and getting ready to g to the studio and make things.....and there are so many things I want to make....

For example, I've been into bird envelopes these days....and bird rolodex cards.....

.......yes, and even more bird envelopes.....

Which, in turn, lead me to making altered book pages with birds and a teacher's notes from a bird class....

Sometimes I just make collage cards from things sitting around on my studio table....like this...

Considering I just went to the fabulous Vintage Paper last weekend and came home with lots of vintage paper there is always something sitting around I can use to make some something....25-cent snapshots...

I was very happy to find a Swedish passport for $2 (thanks to Annie) and I changed the passport photo from an old lady to this perky miss. (sorry, I couldn't help myself). I did just notice the passport says she had dark brown hair.I thought Swedes were blond. Oh well. This is added to my altered passport product....WARNING: The next two photos might make you a little crazy!

I got a bunch of twenty cent postcards just for the fabulous stamps/post marks/cursive writing. Aren't they wonderful? I am kicking myself for not getting more. In my defense, I WAS running out of money....(This photo has gotten the second most "likes" on Instagram that I've ever had)

I just had to show you all this beauty. Some of you have seen it already on the blog's FB page or on IG I know but it is so wonderful I have to share on the blog....A lovely woman (pmarti5) on IG made me this for no reason other than to be wildly nice and generous. It is a cloth journal cover for a Moleskine journal in postal fabric. I am going to treasure this beauty.

So, there you have it -- coffee and reading, making things and surprises in the mail, wonderful old postcards. It's all good. When is your favorite time to make things?Morning? Night? And, what is everybody out there working on? What do you like to read -- am I missing any good books or magazines? Do tell.And have a good day you all!SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

34 comments:

I would be honored if you joined us for T Stands For Tuesday. This is the kind of post I salivate over. Not so much for the lovely pastries, but the coffee and art you start your day with.

And your mail art is wonderful. I can't imagine you running out of money since everything seems so reasonable. At least the paper products and photos you luck into. I thought you altered that passport beautifully. It turned out great.

Hi Elizabeth -- thanks so much for your comment. It is nice to know SOMEONE is out there reading. I never had a blog post without comments before. It makes me wonder....Thanks for the invitation to T ! Can I link this up even tho it is already Wednesday?

Ha ha Elizabeth -- you can see what state I'm in -- I on't even know what day of the week it is. And if it's TUESDAY it is Scrap day for me. Off to the center for CreativeReuse. Yes, of course, you can add my blog to your sidebar. That would be lovely of you. I added the link to your blog in this post and joined in with the T gang this week. Vey nice of you to ask.....thank you.

What wonderful art inspiration you have found, I love the images you have captured especially the cyanotypes and the saying "Art: A feast for the senses" along with those lemons in the beautiful bowl! I was wondering what the pastry is on the SF Chronicle and the New York Times photo please? It does look yummy! Your mail art work and birds are wonderful too! Nice to meet you at T Stands for Tuesday and wishing you a Happy T day! J :-)

I am so glad you enjoyed the post, Let's Art Journal -- that is (sweet) Greek bread with a red egg baked inside (made by my Greek next door neighbor). Really yummy. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I tried to comment on your post but Wordpress wouldn't let me -- sorry.

Welcome to the T-Gang! I love your post. I love anything to do with snail mail. So I practically salivated over your vintage postcards! What a find! And the snapshots are fab! I have a whole box of them of my own family, but for creating art it's not so easy to use a photo of someone you know or a photo from an album.I love that journal cover that you were gifted. A true RAK (random act of kindness).The passport is fun. If you read correctly, you'll see that the eyes are dark brown but the hair (at the top) is blond (vitt=white). So you see, it fits you like a Tee (T for Tuesday)Happy T-Day,Lisca

OH!! Thank you for explaining that to me about the passport. I was seeing it wrong -- and I am happy to know is blond (I didn't realize it). Now I am happy the photo I added matches the passport. And I am adding more photos and little maps and Swedish stamps to it....I appreciate the translating. I love snail mail and mail art too. I know what you mean about using your own family photos. I always feel free using others photos but not my own....Thank you so much for all the nice comments. I appreciate it very much.

i love anything mailart related... so i can tell you i was drooling over this post! once i ordered a box of old photos on ebay, because i also find it easier to take pics from strangers than from Family for some Projects.love that cover of the Journal and of course the old postcards!i also did the cyanotype process before and just love the results... but currently i´m into sun printing. gives a broader choice of Colors. and is so easy.have a nice summer, Pamela!

We agree, johanna -- anything mail art related is good! I bought my snap shots at the Vintage Paper fair because I can't stand to use up my own family ones either....but sometimes i do get brave and sneak a photo of my mom into art....thanks for reading and commenting!

Sorry to be so slow in commenting. This summer has turned into quite a busy one, but it is all good! There is just so much to enjoy in this post! I have tried doing art first thing but then I don't want to stop which means I don't go out for a walk. If I don't get out first thing in the morning in this heat, then I won't do it later. So, I try to be good and walk first, then art. So good to know about your birding interest - new ideas for Rolodex and file card art for you. As always, thanks for a fun, interesting, envy-inducing post!

yay! A familiar name! Where are all my "regulars"? Nice to see your comment here, cjsrq and I know what you mean about busy. I am too busy but I keep thinking up new projects. i SHOULD go for a walk first and then art but the lure of the studio seems to win out over walking.....

Welcome!!! Such a lovely post full of great art and art ideas ♥ I've promised myself not to buy anymore art supplies until I at least get what I have more organized...but then I run into such goodies as the post cards and I just can't resist... Happy belated T Day!Happy to have you join us.

I can't resist either, Carol but most of my art supplies are using re-purposed papers from places like Scrap or tearing up my $1 books from the library book sale....I just had a BIG clean up but things are starting to get messy as I work.....thanks for commenting and for stopping by the blog.

Hi, Pamela! Besides mail art, I'm interested in textiles & textile art. Do you know about Selvedge Magazine? It's a quarterly British - & very pricey - magazine but it's fabulous & worth every farthing! I have every copy since the first one. The illustrations are to die for. Selvedge & Uppercase are my favorite magazines for inspiration & beauty. Mail coming to you soon!

Hi Suzanne -- I do know about Selvedge magazine but I'm not sure I have ever seen one. Big news stands are sadly missing from San Francisco but i happen to be going to one outside the city tomorrow and I will look for it. I do get Uppercase night up on my corner. I enjoy Somerset Studio sometimes too. WOW You have a whole collection of all the Selfridge mags? Can I come over for a cuppa and browse? Mail coming? How wonderful.

I agree - After feeding the cats, I often spend the first hour in pajamas working on some mail art project or starting a new one. Sometimes the best ideas come first thing in the morning over a bowl of blueberries and yoghurt.~ Jack @ Cascadia Artpost

Oh, so much paper goodness on your post this week.I love coffee & crafting - but I usually do that when I get home from work & stay up late if I'm in the groove of getting things done. Lately, on my days off I've been putting chores and errands (and makeup, and meals) aside and getting right down to craftiness outside on my deck & it's been so awesome taking the time for myself. As I've been in a creative rut, I signed up for another online class and am working my way through that (Ever After), learning to draw and paint... it's giving me some ideas for future art, so it's been a good time investment so far. But really, I think the most important thing I've learned is that sitting down to DO anything is the best way to get things done - your morning ritual is definitely why you are so prolific. Priorities! Even when I "don't know what I'm going to make" I have to sit down to play and then I know things will come from it.

I haven't read any good magazines lately, but I do listen to books and the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children series was a good one - I'm looking forward to seeing the movie in the fall.

Hi tamdoll -- working on your deck sounds delightful. And, you are so right, just do something and the ideas will come. My problem is I have so many ideas I can't keep up so I try to write them all down in case I run out....I have a number of different projects all going at the same time and that is why my table is always such a mess....Thanks for the reading/listening tip -- and thanks for the comment too.

Wow! Where to begin? I love your series of "artful morning" photos. You could turn something like that into a book. I love the idea of just browsing a little something creative and arty first thing in the morning, even if I can't commit the day to art-making. I am liking your bird theme, and can't BELIEVE you found handwritten notes from a BIRD COURSE for your themed collages; what are the chances?!? You definitely scored big with your snapshots and cursive postcards--always at the top of my list for the paper fair. I've NEVER seen a passport available; that's pretty darn cool. And what a lovely air mail themed journal cover; that IS a treasure! Great post!

Thanks, Andria -- passports are hard to find but I have scored a few. Last VPF I got three from Asia. One of my "secrets" is, I flip thru interesting books at the library book sale to see what falls out -- that is where I found the bird pages inside a bird book! I have found some amazing things tucked inside books. Thanks for your lovely comment -- glad you enjoyed the post.